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Our mission is to provide free arts education, free arts materials, and a safe space to explore making art for all children around the world.

Through your generous donations, we host lessons, contests, critiques, and workshops at public schools. We currently serve over 1000 students per month at Colors of Cambodia, the birthplace and pilot program of Art Will Save The World.

We’ve been running Colors of Cambodia since 2003. It is currently run entirely by former students of the program, many of whom have also gone on to become professional artists.

Astounded by the impact of creating a free space to learn about art, we have created a series of videos that we share with organizations around the world, and are currently working on setting up Colors of the World outposts in Ecuador and Rwanda.

Making art has a profound effect on the brain, improving each and every cognitive, emotional and neurological process.

Our History

Colors of Cambodia began in 1999, when founder Bill Gentry first shared his love of art with children in rural Cambodian schools. By 2003, a dedicated school and gallery opened in Siem Reap, expanding access to free art education. Two decades later, in January 2023, the program relocated to a larger space (affectionately known as The River House) where students now explore not only painting and drawing, but also music, performance, sculpture, and graphic arts.

Bill, COC Founder, in 2003

Bill on his first trip to Cambodia in 1999

The River Gallery

Established in 2023, The River Gallery represents a core stable of emerging artists that come directly from the lineage of the Colors of Cambodia Art School, with periodic exhibitions by other local and internationally renowned artists.

The River Gallery aims to bridge a glaring gap in the overall representation of Cambodian artists at scale, serving as a direct pipeline into larger institutions, as well as public and private collections over time.  We endeavor to provide a stage that allows the artists expressive freedom, so that they, in addition to society as a whole, understand the absolute significance of their contemporary voice at this time in history.

Meet The Team